Shaping Islands in Clay Community Participation

Shaping Islands in Clay (22–23 August, 11:30am to 2:30pm) invites you to slow down, think with your hands, and engage deeply with Australia’s 8,222 vulnerable island environments. In this gentle making activity, clay becomes a way of noticing—a way of paying attention to coastlines, habitats, and the quiet fragility of places shaped by rising seas and shifting climates. As you mould your island, you begin to sense how land holds memory, how ecosystems respond to change, and how creativity can open space for reflection.
Working with South Australian clay, participants aged 8+ will shape small islands inspired by real locations across Australia. Each island carries its own story: mangrove edges, reef shallows, rocky outcrops, nesting grounds, and tidal flats. Through simple, tactile gestures — pressing, smoothing, carving, and forming — you’ll create a piece that echoes the textures and contours of these threatened environments. The process is calm, grounding, and quietly instructive, offering a moment to consider how climate change touches even the smallest fragments of our coastline.
These clay islands will become part of Error 404: Islands Not Found, a collaborative community art project developed with Catherine Fitz‑Gerald and Swapna Namboodiri for exhibition in 2027. Your island will join hundreds of others in a collective installation that speaks to disappearance, resilience, and shared responsibility.
Join me in this thoughtful, hands-on activity and help shape a landscape of care—one small island at a time. No booking required.